Chapter 1420: The academy fighting style
"...Next up... Student Mobillax from Professor Baroque’s division versus student Merina from Professor Robin Burton’s division."
Robin nearly bolted to his feet in reflex, but something inside him urged restraint. He clenched his fists, breathed deeply, and forced himself to sit back down. Something—an instinct, perhaps—told him not to rob that student of her chance.
Instead, he took a moment to gather himself and calmly turned to the girl sitting behind him, asking,
"Excuse me... why are Professor Robin Burton’s students being sent out one after another to fight students from different professors?"
"Oh, I see you’ve finally cooled off a little. That’s good. Those poor kids have been through enough—they don’t need more chaos in their lives."
The girl spoke in a soft, almost sleepy voice, her half-lidded eyes glancing down at the arena.
"...They were selected to open the week-long tournament. It’s a tradition here. By putting them up front, they’re eliminated early, sparing them from more intense pressure later on. At the same time, it gives the audience a chance to spot the likely victors early.
It builds hype, draws attention, and increases the stakes for betting. Whether it’s that gorilla brute who won earlier or the guy coming next, Mobillax—both are high-ranking favorites predicted to land among the top ten."
"You sound like you know a lot about these things..."
Robin’s eyes narrowed slightly. It was unusual to hear such sharp analysis from a mere spectator.
"All of us here are involved, friend. Every person seated in these stands will either be fighting in the next seven days or came to watch someone who will.
Some are students, some are family, and some just love the thrill of the tournament and came to place wagers. Everyone knows how these things work—it’s not really a secret or anything hidden."